Blackburn Community Volunteer Awards return on 5 November

Culture & Events Desk 2026-10-06 13:58 3 min read

Group of volunteers sitting in a hall reading documents at a local meeting

From Scout groups and hospice volunteers to community fridges and witness support, Blackburn with Darwen’s volunteer awards shortlist brings together people whose work supports residents across the borough. The Community Volunteer Awards 2026 winners will be revealed at King George’s Hall in Blackburn on Thursday 5 November 2026.

The presentation evening will celebrate the finalists and their contributions to local communities. For finalists and community members considering attendance, the council’s announcement gives the date and venue but does not specify a start time, ticket price, booking arrangements, public admission conditions, transport information or accessibility details.

According to Blackburn with Darwen Council News, more than 400 nominations were received across eight categories. Community CVS and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council organised judging on 10 September, with representatives from all event sponsors involved in selecting the shortlist.

A November evening for the borough’s volunteers

The awards recognise individuals, groups and organisations that give their time, energy and expertise to support others. The published shortlist spans youth activities, charity shops, environmental projects, support services and community venues, giving the evening a broad cross-section of local volunteering.

Community CVS chief executive Garth Hodgkinson said the range and quality of nominations had made the judging panel’s task difficult. He thanked those who had put people and organisations forward and said the November gathering would celebrate the finalists’ commitment to communities across Blackburn with Darwen.

Council leader Councillor Phil Riley also praised the response. He said every nominee should be proud of their contribution, recognising the dedication and compassion of people who volunteer across the borough.

The groups and individuals on the shortlist

The eight category headings are People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, Place, Participation, Young Person and Lifetime Achievement. The first six each have separate individual and group shortlists, so the published list contains more sections than the headline category count might suggest.

Blackburn Community Volunteer Awards return on 5 November

Among the individual finalists are Olive Bolton of Girl Guides Darwen in People, Paulina Blasczak of Darwen Kindness Younited in Prosperity, and Maryam Abdulrashid of the BwD Recycle Campaign in Planet. Their nominations sit alongside group entries covering several different kinds of community activity.

The group finalists are:

People: Age UK BwD, Darwen Ducks, and East Lancs Hospice Creative & Support Therapies Volunteers.
Prosperity: Bam UK, Maggie’s Community Fridge, and No1 Coffee Shop.
Planet: Canalside Activity & Environment Centre, East Lancs Hospice Darwen Shop, and Rummage Rescuers.
Peace: Blackburn Magistrates Witness Service, Rummage Rescuers, and Orange Button Volunteers of Blackburn with Darwen.
Place: Brama Group, Mill Hill Festival, and Veterans Living Museum.
Participation: Blackburn District Scouts, BwD Police Amateur Boxing Club, and St Francis Scouts.

The Young Person shortlist includes volunteers associated with No. 1 Coffee Shop, Blackburn Youth Zone and Immanuel Scout Group. The Lifetime Achievement finalists represent Victim Support, Samaritans and BwD Girl Guiding.

These are finalist selections; the announcement does not name the winners. For the shortlisted volunteers and groups, the next confirmed milestone is the presentation evening itself.

Three further honours will be revealed at King George’s Hall

Alongside the shortlisted categories, Volunteer of the Year, Group of the Year and the CVS Special Award for Outstanding Service will be announced on the evening. The source does not identify recipients in advance.

The confirmed diary details are Thursday 5 November 2026, King George’s Hall, Blackburn. Anyone planning to attend still needs confirmation of the admission arrangements before making attendance plans.

Source: Blackburn with Darwen Council News

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The preview uses the supplied council announcement for the ceremony details, shortlist and judging information, with missing attendance details identified.

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The source gives Thursday 5 November 2026 and King George’s Hall as the presentation date...
More than 400 nominations and the 10 September judging date are stated in the announcement...
The shortlist uses eight category headings, with individual and group sections under the f...
The announcement supplies no start time, price, booking or public admission arrangements.

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